A Queens Delight Part 3

_To dry Plums._

Take three quarters of a pound of Sugar to a pound of black Pear-plums, or Damsins, slit the Plums in the crest, lay a lay of Sugar with a lay of Plums, and let them stand all night; if you stone the Plums, fill up the place with sugar, then boil them gently till they be very tender, without breaking the skins, take them into an earthen or silver dish, and boil your syrup afterwards for a gelly, then pour it on your Plums scalding hot, and let them stand two or three dayes, then let them be put to the Oven after you draw your bread, so often untill your syrup be dryed up, and when you think they are almost dry, lay them in a sieve, and pour some scalding water on them, which will run through the sieve, and set them in an Oven afterwards to dry.

_To preserve Cherries the best way, bigger than they grow naturally, &c._

Take a pound of the smallest Cherries, and boil them tender in a pint of fair water, then strain the liquor from the substance, then take two pound of good Cherries, and put them into a preserving-pan with a lay of Cherries, and a lay of sugar: then pour the syrup of the other Cherries about them, and so let them boil as fast as you can with a quick fire, that the syrup may boil over them, and when your syrup is thick and of good colour, then take them up, and let them stand a cooling by part.i.tions one from another, and being cold you may pot them up.

_To preserve Damsins, red Plums or black._

Take your Plums newly gathered, and take a little more sugar than they do weigh, then put to it as much water as will cover them; then boil your syrup a little while, and so let it cool, then put in your Damsins or Plums, then boil them leasurely in a pot of seething water till they be tender, then being almost cold pot them up.

_To dry Pippins or Pears._

Take your Pippins, Pears, Apric.o.c.ks, pare them, and lay them in a broad earthen pan one by one, and so rowl them in sea.r.s.ed Sugar as you flower fried fish; put them in an Oven as hot as for manchet, and so take them out, and turn them as long as the Oven is hot; when the Oven is of a drying heat, lay them upon a Paper, and dry them on the bottom of a Sieve; so you may do the least Plum that is.

_To dry Pippins or Pears another way._

Take Pippins or Pears, and lay them in an earthen Pan one by one, and when they be baked plump and not broken, then take them out, and lay them upon a Paper, then lay them on a Sieves bottom, and dry them as you did before.

_To dry Apric.o.c.ks tender._

Take the ripest of the Apric.o.ks, pare them, put them into a silver or earthen skillet, and to a pound of Apric.o.c.ks put three quarters of a pound of Sugar, set your Apric.o.c.ks over your fire; stirring them till they come to a pulp, and set the Sugar in another skillet by boiling it up to a good height, then take all the Apric.o.c.ks, and stir them round till they be well mingled, then let it stand till it be something cold and thick, then put it into cards, being cut of the fas.h.i.+on of an Apric.o.c.k, and laid upon gla.s.s plates; fill the Cards half full, then set them in your stove, but when you find they are so dry that they are ready to turn, then provide as much of your pulp as you had before, and so put to every one a stove, when they are turned, (which you must have laid before) & pour the rest of the Pulp upon them, so set them into your stove, turning them till they be dry.

_To dry Plums._

Take a pound of Sugar to a pound of Plums, pare them, scald your Plums, then lay your Plums upon a sieve till the water be drained from them, boil your Sugar to a Candy height, and then put your Plums in whilst your syrup is hot, so warm them every morning for a week, then take them out, and put them into your stove and dry them.

_To dry Apric.o.c.ks._

Take your Apric.o.c.ks, pare and stone them, then weigh half a pound of sugar to a pound of Apric.o.c.ks, then take half that sugar, and make a thin syrup, and when it boileth, put in the Apric.o.c.ks; then scald them in that syrup; then take them off the fire, and let them stand all night in that syrup, in the morning take them out of that syrup, and make another syrup with the other half of the sugar, then put them in, and preserve them till they look clear; but be sure you do not do them so much as those you keep preserved without drying; then take them out of that syrup, and lay them on a piece of Plate till they be cold; then take a skillet of fair water, and when the water boils take your Apric.o.c.ks one after another in a spoon, and dip them in the water first on one side, and then on the other; not letting them go out of the spoon: you must do it very quick, then put them on a piece of plate, and dry them in a Stove, turning them every day; you must be sure that your Stove or Cupboard where you dry them, the heat of it be renewed three times a day with a temperate drying heat untill they be something dry, then afterwards turn once as you see cause.

_Conserves of Violets the Italian manner._

Take the leaves of blue Violets separated from their stalks and greens, beat them very well in a stone Mortar, with twice their weight of Sugar, and reserve them for your use in a gla.s.s vessel.

_The Vertue._

The heat of Choller it doth mitigate extinguisheth thirst, a.s.swageth the belly, and helpeth the Throat of hot hurts, sharp droppings and driness, and procureth rest: It will keep one year.

_Conserves of red Roses the Italian manner._

Take fresh red Roses not quite ripe, beat them in a stone Mortar, mix them with double their weight of Sugar, and put them in a gla.s.s close stopped, being not full, let them remain before you use them three months, stirring of them once a day.

_The Vertues._

The Stomach, Heart, and Bowels it cooleth, and hindreth vapours, the spitting of blood and corruption for the most part (being cold) it helpeth. It will keep many years.

_Conserve of Borage Flowers after the Italian manner._

Take fresh Borage flowers cleansed well from their heads four ounces, fine sugar twelve ounces, beat them well together in a stone Mortar, and keep them in a vessel well placed.

The vertues are the same with Bugloss flowers.

_Conserve of Rosemary flowers after the Italian manner._

Take new Rosemary Flowers one pound, of white sugar one pound; so beat them together in a Marble Mortar with a wooden Pestle, keep it in a gallipot, or vessel of earth well gla.s.sed, or in one of hard stone. It may be preserved for one year or two.

_The Vertues._

It comforteth the heart, the stomach, the brain, and all the nervous part of the Body.

_Conserve of Betony after the Italian way._

Betony new and tender one pound, the best sugar three pound, beat them very small in a stone Mortar, let the sugar be boiled with two pound of Betony-water to the consistance of a syrup, at length mix them together by little and little over a small fire, and make a Conserve, which keep in a gla.s.s.

_The Vertues._

It helpeth the cold pains of the head, purgeth the stomach and womb: it helpeth stoniness of the Reins, and furthereth Conception.